I always planted enough extra to overcome what the borers will kill.

Thanks for the response! Part of me assumed that's what most must do, but the small number of plants that I do grow always struggle so much without my hunting them down and killing the larvae that I sort of resigned myself to assuming it was impossible.

Last year my small patch died out completely. They got hit while they were still very young, and never came back. I ended up with one spaghetti squash and nothing else, so I was slightly discouraged. This year, they at least made it to the point of vining out before I started seeing the moths, so hopefully it'll be a better season.

Thanks again!

I've heard both dill and radishes going to bloom/seed is supposed to help, I haven't noticed a difference. Maybe I just live in an area that isn't hit hard. I'm the only veggie grower of any size for about 5-10 miles.

Also heard about finding the larvae, pulling it out, then covering the stem, Also no experience with it. I used to plant about 1/4-1/2 of each spaghetti, butternut, acorn, delicata and other assorted. Always was happy with 10-20 bu of each.

Marla

I'll use a dirty word here - Imidacloprid. We use it on the squash and pumpkins and it works well. Also works against cucumber beatles and stink bugs. A lot of people disagree with any of the neo-nics but IMHO it's safer than several applications of foliar applied products.

Tom

I use row covers until the squash are big enough and the SVB have given up. If I see them (adults) I squish them. I also inject bt into the stem if I see frass.
Moschata species of squash cannot get SVB. So grow butternuts and you do not have to worry.

Thank you both for your responses, henhousefarms and little_minnie.

If I get much more desperate for winter squash, I may end up going your route, henhousefarms! I am trying to go the minimal pesticide route (I will use bT on things, but that's about it), but this is getting frustrating!

Little_minnie - I could have sworn I was the only one who injected bT into the stems! I use one of those marinade injector syringes that I picked up cheap from Big Lots once. For a few years it seemed to do the trick, but last year at least it was no use. I just recently had to go through the injecting process. This was the first year I tried row covers, but I used tulle rather than plastic row coverings (had it already and have used it with great success over cabbage) and once the plants got bigger they all clung to it and I eventually took it down.

I would grow butternuts, but there are so many other winter squash that I enjoy more that I just can't bring myself to give up just yet.

Again, thank you all! It was good to get an idea of what has worked for everyone else.

Jill

i think spinosad is labelled for squash vine borers.

I don't think anything can get into the vine where the borers are except by injecting. spinosad may kill the adults but generally there are just a couple that do all the damage.
Some people use blue hubbard squash as a catch crop. You would have to rip out and kill the caterpillars from them or u are just breeding them.